United States’ Ashton Eaton celebrates after winning the gold medal in the decathlon. By Thursday night, that had evolved into a pretty great 24 hours.
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Tianna Bartoletta nestled into the starting blocks in lane 2 for the USA team’s re-run – on their own and against the clock only – after they fumbled the baton in their original qualifier, but got another chance following a protest.
“We were laughing and joking out there”, English Gardner said.
“Our relationship helps us because we understand what each other are doing, like physically and mentally”, said the American two-time world champion.
But living in each other’s pockets, training and living together, makes them just a normal couple.
Eaton finished with 8,893 points, incredibly matching exactly the Olympic record after 10 energy-sapping events. Eaton took third overall, running 4:23.33, and clinching his second Olympic gold medal in the process.
“He has always supported me but I’m a bit jealous because he got silver and mine is bronze”.
In a dazzling display of his all-around athleticism, American Ashton Eaton ran faster, jumped higher and threw farther than his decathlon rivals to become one of the few men in Olympic history to repeat as victor of the 10-event competition.
Alongside Eaton’s triumph, Ryan Crouser led an American one-two in the shot put, also setting a new Olympic record of 22.52 meters to win his first major title from world champion Joe Kovacs. The U.S. ran 41.76, the second fastest time in the world this year, more than good enough for a spot in the final.
“What else can I do to prove to the world I am the greatest? I was on the ground, exhausted”, Clement said. “I tightened over the last hurdle but I got it done”.
GOLDEN HURDLERS: Clement was so confident of a first Olympic individual gold in the hurdles that he had his mother, Claudette, bring a star-spangled banner from home. So when we get home we just want our own time to do what we want to do by ourselves.
“I was not aware of Daley when I was growing up”, he added, refusing to disclose whether he was thinking of going for third gold at the Tokyo Games in 2020.
However tough his task was, it was made easier when Javier Culson, the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist from Puerto Rico, was disqualified for a false-start.
Eaton won two of the 10 events – the long jump and 400m – and finished second to Warner in the 100m and 110m hurdles.
A day after the US women went 1-2-3 in the 100 hurdles, Team USA swept the men’s and women’s 400 hurdles Thursday. The American stormed to victory in 47.73 seconds, holding off the challenge of Kenya’s Boniface Tumuti, who won silver in 47.78.
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Ashton Eaton joined a most exclusive club at Olympic Stadium on Thursday night. Concentrating on not messing that up for Bolt, a Jamaica team led by Asafa Powell got into the final in an important moment for the big man’s legacy.
